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Whoa, Fast Food Has Even More Calories Than You Think!

Not that you thought all fast food was healthy—I mean, you're obviously smart about this kind of stuff. But according to a new study, fast food probably has even more calories than you think it does.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School talked to more than 3,000 participants and discovered that most people underestimate the amount of calories they taken in while eating meals from fast-food joints. Study subjects were required to estimate how many calories were in menu items from McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, KFC, and Dunkin' Donuts.

The result? Most adults underestimated their own meals—which usually clocked in at 836 calories total (!)—by 175 calories. Teens underestimated theirs by 259 calories, and parents who had ordered kids' meals underestimate them by 175 calories. And! Overall, one quarter of all participants underestimated the calorie content of their meals by at least 500 calories.

At the time of the study, none of the restaurants had posted the nutritional content of their menu items (some have since done so). Interestingly, researchers noted that people who underestimated the calorie content of their meals at Subway were 20 to 25 percent less accurate than those who ate at McDonald's—suggesting a "health halo," where they assume the food is less caloric than it is.

All right, so when you do end up eating fast food, how do you negotiate the menu? Do you think about the nutritional content of your meal, or look up that info?